5 Simple Daily Habits to Increase Longevity & Lifespan

Photo Cred: Charles Du

It is safe to say most of us want to live a disease free life and age with grace and vitality. The challenge lies within the ever growing amount of toxins and pollutants we are exposed to everyday. Still, it is most definitely possible. As we get older, increasing longevity may become more of a priority, but there are five no fuss daily habits you can do at any age to increase life-span, overall happiness and ward off disease. If you find yourself lacking energy and get fatigued often, I challenge you to begin to incorporate these daily longevity habits and witness your mind and body respond for the better.

1.) Get outside and soak in some Vitamin D

Vitamin D is actually a hormone and is known as the “Sunshine” vitamin. There is good reason for this in that we only get about 10% of it from food and our body produces the rest of it through sunlight. Besides soaking in a vital hormone, the benefits of getting outdoors in nature on a daily basis are countless. Statistics show over 85% of the US population is vitamin D deficient (myself included). I highly recommend getting your vitamin D levels checked and if supplementation is needed. Just as too little is no bueno, so is too much. Your doctor can do this or you can do it on your own through Direct Labs or Wellness FX.

Benefits of vitamin D:

Promotes bone growth & bone health

Improved resistance against certain diseases

Boosts immune system

Boosts energy

Can regulate mood and depression

Aides in weight loss

Reduces risk of diabetes

Reduces inflammation

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to:

Depression

Weight gain

Sleep disorders

Heart disease

Fatigue

Weakened immune system

Bone loss

Hair loss

Muscle weakness

Despite living in sunny South East Asia, I was very low in Vitamin D due to circumstances out of my control. It is important to note many factors can cause a deficiency or affect your ability to get enough vitamin D and you may require supplementation. Some of these factors can include: Living in polluted cities, kidney or liver disease, getting off birth control pill, heart disease and using sunscreen.

There is some debate by experts on how much vitamin D you need daily. The conservative side leans towards 800 IU - 1000 IU while functional medicine leans towards 4000 IU per day. To find out how much you receive on a daily basis you can download some helpful apps that will notify you the best times to go outside when sun rays are at their best depending on where you live and track how much you vitamin D you are consuming.

2.) Enjoy your morning cup of Joe

This one is my favorite and it actually doesn’t stunt your growth! You can enjoy your morning cup of coffee even more now that new scientific research has officially pro-claimed the short and long-term health benefits of drinking coffee. These benefits are best obtained from 1 - 3 cups maximum daily. Keep in mind, this is black coffee sans sugar and cream and if you suffer from anxiety it's best to skip a caffeine fix.

3.) Pet an animal...even a cat

Animal friendly people reap some pretty amazing health benefits, especially if you happen to own a dog...or a cat ;) Studies show some of these benefits include adding 10 years to your life. For those that do not own a furry being, be sure to pet a friendly pup on the street when you can or better yet, volunteer at a local animal shelter where many allow you to walk and play with the rescue animals. There is a reason animals are used in therapy. They are brought to hospitals to boost mood and most recently, airports such as the Denver Airport walk around with dogs for passengers to pet and converse with during long lay overs to alleviate stress and pass the time. Go Denver!

Benefits of owning a pet:

4.) Take Moments in Social Interaction

It turns out that being social can really add longevity to your life and provide numerous benefits to both your physical and mental well-being. It seems taking time out of our hectic and busy schedules to interact with family and friends is more important than ever. Although studies show social media interaction with friends can be beneficial in some ways, you can avoid the down sides by sharing and connecting face-to-face with others when possible. It seems like a rare commodity, but by doing so, you will reap countless benefits and your health will thank you.

Luckily there are countless ways to socially interact at any age and technology has made this even easier. Some great social activities can include catching up with a friend on the phone, face-time or Skype, visiting family, joining a gym, going out for dinners, seeing a movie, volunteer work, taking a new class, starting your own class, taking a walk with a friend, trivia night at a bar and making new friends, saying "hi" to a stranger...the list is endless.

5.) Take moments in solitude

Equally important as taking moments in social interaction is taking those rare and under-rated moments of solitude by choice to connect with noone but yourself. This is even more rare then above as we are "pinged" nearly every moment with social media notifications or work e-mails and in a way constantly connected to someone. When you relish in alone time and bury yourself in something you love to do, it provides a beautiful balance during those moments of social interactions.

We all want to live a long, happy and healthy life. Ultimately, diet plays a huge role and often less than genetics, but there are countless daily habits you can add into your life to perhaps add a few more years and feel happier and healthier. These five daily habits are simple and easy to build into your lifestyle so start your day with a cup of joe, take a walk in the sunshine with a friend, pet that precious pup walking by and end your your day by taking 30 minutes alone and getting lost in a good book.